E-crime: Thieves target small businesses
The following article was published in The Birmingham Mail, February 2007. The text has been edited for use on this website.
Warning on fraudsters
Small businesses across the West Midlands are being targeted by email thieves fuelling a sharp rise in electronic ID fraud, it is claimed.
A red alert has gone out to firms throughout the region amid concern that increasing numbers of businesses are under threat from would-be fraudsters.
The warning from leading Birmingham service and support outfit Icomm Technologies comes as the city firm steps up its continued fight on e-crime with the launch of its ‘Identity Fraud Protection” solutions.
Ian Callens, of Icomm Technologies, said the fresh bout of e-crime involved fraudsters stealing legitimate email addresses from businesses in order to send unsolicited spam.
Companies that are being unwittingly targeted are then blacklisted by e-mail service providers.
Ian Callens, Icomm Sales Manager
Smaller organisations, with less robust software security measures in place, are those more susceptible to falling foul of electronic ID fraud.
“Common signs include phone calls from people accusing you of sending spam, and your business being regularly bombarded by ‘undelivered’ message for emails which were never sent.
“Our job is to help SME’s in the area to combat electronic fraud. Many of the firms we’ve worked closely with on the issue weren’t aware of it happening until significant damage had already occurred.”
He said the Identity Fraud Protection solution worked by protecting the sender’s address, preventing fraudulent domain name activity. “With this solution, the recipient of an email purporting to be from you is cross-checked to you and your server, and emails which fail the cross-check are rejected.”
